Source: Anne Arundel County Land Records

1806

pg 686

Know all men by these presents, I Stephen Clarke now of the City of Annapolis, for and in consideration of the sum Five Hundred and forty pounds current money to me in hand paid before the execution of those present s the receipts whereof is hereby acknowledges have granted, bargained, and sold set over and delivered unto Lewis Neth of the same City all the goods, Chattels, and property mentioned, expressed, and contained in the Schedule hereunto annexed; To have and to hold all and singular the said goods, chattel and proeprty unto him the his Heirs executors and administrators provided always and these present and upon this condition that if the said Clarke shall well and truly pay unto him the aforesaid Lewis Nath the sum of five hundred and forty pounds current money together with the interst herepon on ore before the first day of November next then these presents shall be void and of none effect. In testimony whereof the said Stephen Clarke hath hereunto set his hand and sela this first day of October eighteen hundred and five.

Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Henrey Childs} Stephen Clark

on the back of the foregoing was thus endoresed to Maryland Annapolis Anne ARundel County to wit on this first day of Pctober Stephen Clark party anemd in the above instrument of writing appeared before me and the subscriber and acknowledged the aforegoing Instrument to be his act and deed and the property herein mentioned and referred to be the right and said proeprty of Lewis Nath according to the true extent and meaning of the said deed.

Taken before Jeremiah Townley Chase

Negro woman Sall and her male child Abram, 14 Chairs, 5 tables, 3 Bedsteads, 3 feather Beds, 2 pair draws, 2 looking glasses, 2 coroner bubboards, 12 pictures, 1 fort piano, 2 pair five irons, 6 pair trousers, 6 jacketts, 6 underjacketts, 12 hatts, 3 pieces taboreens, 3 pieces rolls, 1 piece asnabrig(?), 12 tin Cullendurs, 6 large land pans, 10 Baskets, 12 baker pans, 4 lamps, 3 dozen funnells, 18 pooper boxes, 12 Lanthorns, 24 candle moulds, 3 drudgin boxes (?), 6 dozen candle sticks, 6 large tea cannisters, 3 tinder boxes, 3 dozen pans, 6 brown juga, 7 small jugs, 4 dozen glass tumblers, 1 dozen glasses, 6 decanters, 1 writing desk, 2 show glasses, 3 Venetian Blinds, sundry articles of bookbinding tools ND 4 preses, one casket full of sperrit, 3 cask blue paint, one box snuff, 4 sauspans, 6 plates, 3 dishes, 6 knoves, and forks, 1 iron pot, 2 pair tongs, 2 tin fish kettles 1 tin sugar box, 3 tin emat roasters one Box Negro pepes(?), 1 Japan plate warmer, 2 dema jons, twelve papers smoking tobacco, one dozen meorandum books, eighteen play books, 1 set button material in 2 vol, 6 Japanese egg boilers, 6 Japan Caddis, 2 old carpets

Test Herny Childs Stephen Clarke

Recorded 19th Oct 1805

This document is very important. Although it reveals that Stephen Clark had to sell all of his wordly good while again filing for insolvency it does reveal how his household lived. THe estate valued at over 500 pounds consists of far more property than Joseph Clark at the time of his death. The family had daily utensils, although not enough for a dinner party. According to Ambitious Appetites (study of habits in the Federal Period) this is better than the average family in Washington DC. A number of goods are imported as well. I wonder if the paraphenilia relating to alcohol, snuff, and smoking indicates a reason Stephen Clark lost much money. Substance abuse is pure speculation however on my part. The piano also suggests that the family lived confortably until the insolvency.